Lexus LFA: The End

The Lexus supercar experiment comes to its conclusion

December 14, 2012 marked the end of the Lexus LFA, as the 500th and final example rolled off the line in Japan. That car, the white 562-bhp Nürburgring Package shown above, closes the book on what might best be described as Toyota's own Apollo Program.

Ten years of development and a parade of concept cars ultimately led to the production version of the carbon-fiber supercar, a unique journey for Toyota and Lexus that saw prototypes raced in the Nurburgring 24 as part of the car's late-stage development process. Built at a rate of one per day by 170 handpicked workers since production began two years ago, the lessons learned from the LFA will be applied as Lexus develops and releases future vehicles.

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Just as important, however, is that the Lexus LFA stands as a spare-no-expense reminder from Toyota that it can deliver a performance vehicle to rival anything the Italians and Germans have to offer. Best of all, that pro-performance attitude adjustment doesn't just benefit the LFA's elite circle of owners. In a sense, we're reaping the benefits downstream with the Scion FR-S (plus its twin, the Subaru BRZ), a car that seemed all but unimaginable from Toyota not too long ago. It's safe to say that the automaker remembers it's okay to break the Camry monotony.

Now, with the LFA officially in the rearview, let's see that long-rumored Supra replacement get going in earnest.